The weather throughout the country has had a profound impact on the vegetable market over the last month, and it’s not done yet.

Experts say that as the East thaws out and demand picks up, the market is firming up and over the next month or so supply gaps could materialize.

Douglas Schaefer, president of EJ’s Produce Sales Inc. in Phoenix, said he knows the situation is tightening up when he starts fielding calls from occasional customers looking for product.

Giumarra Wenatchee is in its second season of marketing Carmen pears, and the variety continues to offer flavor and value to customers.

The pears, sold in single-layer cartons, load on both the East Coast and the West Coast and are available until the end of March from Giumarra Wenatchee.

For 60 years, the Zuhlke family has been providing packaging for the produce industry.

Kurt Zuhlke Sr., who was originally a chiropractor, started the business in 1955 and was successful for many years along with the aid and support of his wife, Frieda. Kurt Zuhlke Jr., who was working in the real estate industry, joined the family business in the early 1980s when the real estate market went south, and then eventually took over the business when his parents retired He has called produce packaging his career for almost 35 years. His wife Cindy is a valued partner in the company.

They say good things come in small packages, and the new line of Divemex mini peppers is no exception, according to a press release from The Oppenheimer Group.

After a few seasons’ hiatus, the popular packs of bright, crunchy mini peppers from a leading Mexican greenhouse producer have returned. Red, yellow, and orange, and perfectly sized for snacking, Divemex mini peppers are available, in one-pound, 1.5-pound and 20-pound bulk, providing a number of attractive options for retailers.

March 1 marked 20 years of business for Potandon LLC, one of the larger marketers of fresh potatoes and onions in North America. Today Potandon Produce is the sole provider of potato and onion products for Green Giant Fresh. It also grows products for "Klondike Brands," "Sunfresh," "Potandon Produce" and "The Valley" labels.

Archie Manning was a football legend in the Southeastern Conference long before he was the keynote speaker at the Southeast Produce Council Southern Exposure Expo 2015. He had a stellar career as an NFL quarterback, but you may know him best as father to NFL stars Peyton Manning and Eli Manning.